Full charm points, inherit game assets

Chapter 717 Xiaoxue's Home
8:10 am.

Yancheng International Airport, a tranquil and private FBO (Fixed Base Operator for Business Jet).

Three black Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedans smoothly came to a stop under the eaves of the terminal's private entrance.

The car door opened, and the group of seven people got off one after another.

Without exception, they all wore top-tier custom-made suits or skirt suits, exuding a capable and professional demeanor, with gleaming leather shoes, and radiating the sharp aura of top financial elites in every gesture.

The ground service staff, who had been waiting there, quickly stepped forward and respectfully took their suitcases and briefcases from the drivers.

The VIP reception manager greeted the tall woman at the front of the group with a perfectly warm smile: "Good morning, Ms. Lin! Your Bombardier Challenger 850 is ready. Freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee and French refreshments are also provided in the lounge."

"Thank you."

Lin Muxue nodded gently, her exquisite makeup flawless in the morning light.

Without saying a word, she strode forward.

The team members behind them immediately followed in unison, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The private VIP waiting room has a relaxed yet efficient atmosphere.

The core members of the project team—analysts and investment managers—were gathered in small groups, sipping coffee and whispering about the final details of their trip to Chang'an.

Lin Muxue did not participate; she simply held a cup of warm black tea and sat elegantly on the single sofa.

I took out my phone and opened the pinned chat window.

First, I adjusted the angle, took a photo, and shared it.

He then left a message saying, "(#^.^#) Mr. Tang, I've arrived at the airport. I'll get things sorted out in Chang'an as soon as possible, and then I'll go back to France with you. (#playful)"

"Buzzing—"

Tang Song: "Hmm, no rush. You can take this opportunity to go home and visit your family. Be careful on the road."

Lin Muxue's lips involuntarily curved into a slight smile as she replied: 【Thank you, dear President Tang, love you~】

Satisfied, I exited the chat and returned to the main WeChat interface.

Her fingertip paused slightly as she opened a somewhat noisy family group chat called "A Loving Family".

The latest news is popping up one by one.

[Jiajia: Shangri-La Hotel, Yanta District.map]

[Jiajia: "@Everyone, no need to rush. Just arrive around 11 o'clock. The registration desk is located at the entrance to the private rooms on the second floor. You can see it as soon as you exit the elevator on the second floor."]

[Jiajia: Sign-in table.jpg, Banquet Hall 1.jpg, Banquet Hall 2.jpg...]

[Jiajia: Hotel Guide Video.video]

Second Aunt: "@Jiajia, we've already set off from Zhou County. We'll go to your brother Zhaohui's house for a while, then we'll go to the hotel together as a group."

[Cousin Xiang Tong: "Wow! Jiajia, this is amazing! This hotel is so luxurious, it's my first time dining at the Shangri-La!"]

[Cousin-Chaohui: "Absolutely! It's the Shangri-La, a five-star hotel, one of the best in Chang'an."]

Second Aunt: "Of course! Jiajia's boyfriend is great; Zhao Peng's family is in big business."

[Brother: "(Thumbs-up emoji)"]

[Uncle: Voice Message.mp3]

……

Lin Muxue scrolled through the chat history and clicked on the guiding video that Jiajia had taken.

The video camera shakily begins in the hotel's opulent lobby, accompanied by Jiajia's slightly boastful narration:
"Everyone, go in from here, turn right and take this sightseeing elevator directly to the second floor... Look, the registration desk is over here... And the banquet hall is here, we've booked the Peony Hall..."

The camera focused on showing the interior of the banquet hall, which was decorated in an incredibly luxurious and romantic style.

Lin Muxue chuckled softly, a complex memory flashing in her eyes.

My mother's side is a large family, with five siblings and their families, and the relationships are very complex.

She had two maternal uncles and two paternal aunts; she was the youngest daughter.

There are many cousins ​​in the family, many of whom are already married with children, and some even have a third generation.

She and her cousin Shi Mengjia are the only two among their peers who are still unmarried.

Although they didn't live together, they often interacted when they were young. Since they were both quite pretty, it was inevitable that their relatives would compare them, and they often competed with each other, both openly and secretly, in the past.

However, as she grew older, Lin Muxue became more and more outstanding, tall and slender with a hot figure, and her face became more and more delicate and elegant.

Of course, her aunt's family was much better off than hers, and Jiajia had always been a good student, got into a good university, and got a good job after graduation. I heard she works in finance at a group company in Chang'an.

And the father of her current fiancé, Zhao Peng, is a minor shareholder of this large company.

In the eyes of their relatives, this was indeed considered a top-tier marriage, and she was currently the most successful among their generation of relatives.

Now that they're finally getting engaged, the whole family naturally wants to show their respect, so they all rush to attend and offer their support.

Of course, there's also the urge to curry favor.

She pieced together all this information over the past few days from messages in her relatives' group chat.

Because she hadn't been home for so long, she didn't even know what Zhao Peng looked like.

"Buzz buzz buzz—" The phone vibrated.

[Cousin Xiang Tong: "@Xiaoxue, Mu Chuan said you're going back to Chang'an today too? Where are you now?"]

Second Aunt: "Oh dear, it's been almost two years since I last saw Xiaoxue, hasn't it? She didn't even come back for Chinese New Year last year. I heard from Mu Chuan that you're working in finance in Yancheng now?"

[Cousin-Zhaohui: "What finance? It's the financial industry."]

...

I saw that the group chat was talking about me.

Lin Muxue tapped her fingers on the screen and replied, "I'm going back today, but I'm still on my way."

Aunt (Jiajia's mom): "Will we make it? It starts at 11:30, don't be late!"

At this moment.

A series of crisp high-heeled footsteps approached.

“Mr. Lin,” Emily, the accompanying administrative specialist, whispered, “FBO ground services have been confirmed. The business jet can board and depart at any time.”

Lin Muxue put away her phone, stood up, and said in a clear and decisive voice, "Let's go, let's board the plane."

The team members who had been talking in hushed tones around them quickly stopped talking, stood up, and picked up their briefcases or carry-on suitcases.

They followed behind her in an orderly fashion.

The group passed through a dedicated security checkpoint, boarded a waiting VIP shuttle bus, and soon boarded the Bombardier Challenger 850 business jet.

The luxury and comfort inside the aircraft far surpasses that of first class in commercial airliners.

The spacious area is wrapped in top-grade maple wood and soft beige leather, and is fully equipped with a separate office area, rest area, and bar.

The passengers took their seats as directed by the flight attendants.

The plane accelerated and climbed smoothly on the runway, finally piercing the thin fog of a winter morning in Yancheng and entering the cloudless stratosphere.

Inside the cabin, warm sunlight streamed in through the portholes, giving the maple wood and leather interior a lustrous sheen.

Lin Muxue sat upright in the independent leather chair by the window, comfortably stretching out her long legs.

A flight attendant dressed in an elegant royal blue uniform was kneeling beside her, gently asking her what she needed in an extremely tender voice.

"A hot Americano, no sugar, no milk."

"Okay, Ms. Lin, please wait a moment."

This 850 has been extensively modified to include a small office area equipped with a satellite phone and high-speed WiFi.

Once the plane reached a stable flight condition, the team members immediately went to the office area.

I turned on my computer and continued our intense work discussion.

"...From the current PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) model, Shaanxi Province offers the largest subsidy among the five northwestern provinces, which is very beneficial for us to calculate the project's IRR (Internal Rate of Return)."

"But what I'm worried about is the issue of curtailment of solar power. The construction period of ultra-high voltage lines and the local absorption capacity are the biggest uncertainties and risks..."

She listened to those technical terms and abbreviations that left her somewhat confused.

Lin Muxue remained outwardly calm, holding her coffee cup, and even nodding in agreement at key points, adopting an attitude of attentive listening and complete control.

In reality, however, she devoted most of her energy to maintaining her "composed" leadership image.

There was no way around it; for Empress Mu Xue, her very existence depended on her image, and she absolutely couldn't afford to lose in terms of presence.

Just then, the screen of her phone, which was on the small table, lit up again.

[Brother (Lin Muchuan): "Xiaoxue, which station are we at? When do you estimate we'll arrive? Do you want me to drive to the train station to pick you up?"]

Lin Muxue couldn't help but smile when she saw the words "train station".

He replied, "No need, bro. I'm flying back, and a car will pick me up from the airport. Don't worry, I'll definitely get to the hotel on time."

Brother: "Oh, an airplane! That should be faster. Okay, then be careful."

Brother: "By the way, did you see the chat in the group? Your aunt and the others asked you about it. Remember to reply, otherwise it's not very polite."

Lin Muxue replied and returned to the main chat interface.

I opened the group chat again, which was called "A Loving Family".

Sure enough, during the time she wasn't checking the messages, there were many more discussions about her.

[Cousin Xiang Tong: "Xiaoxue is still developing her career in Yancheng, right? I think if she has the chance, she should go back to Chang'an. The two cities are developing about the same now."]

Aunt: "Yes! @Xiaoxue, you can ask Jiajia later if Zhao Peng's company needs anyone. It's all related to finance anyway."

[Jiajia: "Mom, I already told you Xiaoxue doesn't work in finance, she works in the financial sector. And our company is quite strict about educational requirements."]

Aunt: "Isn't that your sister? Why can't you help her out?"

[Cousin-Chaohui: "Auntie, Jiajia isn't the one who calls the shots at the company. She just got engaged. You're just making things difficult for her."]

[Cousin Xiang Tong: "@Xiaoxue, where are you? Why aren't you replying?"]

[Brother: "Xiaoxue is on her way right now. She probably didn't see it because of a bad internet connection. She told me she'll definitely be there on time."]

……

Looking at the chat messages in the group, which were full of nostalgia and regional characteristics, Lin Muxue felt a pang of emotion, but she didn't reply.

She has never revealed her current situation to her family.

Previously, it was because of the special circumstances of being a "fake socialite" that she was afraid of being laughed at by her relatives who knew her background.

So her WeChat Moments were blocked by groups, and her Douyin account was registered with a new phone number, so none of her relatives knew about it. They only said that she was a print model and had earned a lot of money.

Even so, her mother still showed her off to relatives quite a bit.

It wasn't until her brother bought a house and got married that she was humiliated by Wen Qiuyue, had a falling out with her family, and basically lost contact with them for almost two years.

I didn't go back for Chinese New Year or my brother's wedding.

She only mentioned to her father that she later quit being a print model and joined a financial company.

In their minds, she is probably still Xiaoxue, who graduated from an unknown vocational college with a major in "air stewardess" and struggled alone in Yancheng, not doing very well and not even going home for the Chinese New Year.

She tapped her laptop lightly with her fingertips, her gaze sweeping over her subordinates who were still engaged in a heated discussion in the cabin, and landing on the magnificent, boundless sea of ​​clouds outside the window.

It felt like a lifetime had passed.

Then, the corners of her lips slowly turned up.

Tang and Song Dynasties, Tang and Song Dynasties.

Meeting you is truly the best arrangement God has given me in this life.

……

9:45 a.m.

Chang'an, southern suburbs, Ruixiang Jiayuan residential community.

A tense, chaotic atmosphere permeated this 89-square-meter two-bedroom apartment located outside the Third Ring Road.

Lin Muchuan, wearing a slightly worn business suit, stood in front of the mirror repeatedly adjusting his tie.

Father Lin Baoshan paced back and forth in the living room, his brow furrowed, glancing at the wall clock every now and then.

The mother, Wang Suxia, sat on the sofa, gently patting her six-month-old grandson in her arms.

Today is an unusual day for their family.

Not only do they have to attend their niece's engagement party and family social events.

More importantly, it was the first time her daughter, Lin Muxue, had returned home in two years.

"Xiao Chuan'er," Lin Baoshan stopped and asked anxiously, "Where is Xiao Xue? Why hasn't she arrived in Chang'an yet?"

Wang Suxia, who was carefully tucking her grandson in, also looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and worry: "It's almost ten o'clock, will we still make it? Is she even coming?"

"Oh dear, she flew over, it'll be quick, she'll be here in just over an hour." Lin Muchuan took out his phone and checked. "Xiaoxue said she'll make it in time."

Upon hearing the affirmative reply, a smile finally appeared on Wang Suxia's face, her tone filled with a long-lost warmth: "That brat, she finally remembered to come back!"

Lin Baoshan nudged his wife's arm and whispered, "When you meet them, be nice to them and say a few gentle words. Don't you dare argue with the child again."

Just as Wang Suxia was about to retort, the door to the master bedroom creaked open.

Lin Muchuan's wife, Peng Xiaomeng, came out while applying serum to her face.

"Dad, you're just being biased. It's no wonder Mom doesn't come home; Xiaoxue doesn't even come home. What kind of daughter is that?"

Lin Baoshan's expression froze, somewhat embarrassed.

"Xiaomeng, shut up." Lin Muchuan quickly glared at his wife.

"What's wrong? You're upset because I said a few words to your sister?" Peng Xiaomeng put the serum on the coffee table and raised her voice. "She didn't come back when we got married, and when Dudu was born, she, as the aunt, didn't even show her face. Is that acceptable?"

"Didn't she send a red envelope?"

"Can red envelopes be treated the same as people? If word gets out, what will people think of our family? My family is still angry about it!"

Seeing that the couple was about to start arguing again, Wang Suxia quickly tried to smooth things over:
"Alright, alright! Xiao Chuan, be a little more considerate of your wife. Xiao Meng, you should also say less, the baby is still asleep."

As she spoke, she gently patted her grandson in her arms.

Lin Muchuan sighed heavily, a guilty look on his face. "Sigh... I always feel like we've let Xiaoxue down. Mom, when we meet this time, you mustn't say anything out of line. Talk to your sister properly."

Peng Xiaomeng glanced at her husband's pathetic appearance and felt a surge of annoyance. She said irritably, "Come in with me for a moment and help me choose which clothes to wear later."

Lin Muchuan nodded and followed him into the master bedroom.

As soon as the door closed, Peng Xiaomeng grabbed his arm, lowered her voice, and warned him sharply, "Let me make this clear first: everything else is fine, but if your parents dare to give your sister any money, you can forget about living together. You'll get a divorce right now!"

Lin Muchuan's expression changed instantly: "Peng Xiaomeng! That's my parents' money. They can do whatever they want with it. It's none of your business!"

"It's none of my business!" Peng Xiaomeng sneered. "Don't you know what our family's situation is like right now? Your lousy company hasn't paid salaries for two months, and it's on the verge of going bankrupt! The mortgage, Dudu's milk powder, diapers—everything costs money! If your parents don't help out, do they expect their own grandson to starve?"

"You!" Lin Muchuan gasped, "Don't you have any money? I give you my entire monthly salary!"

"Don't give me that! Your seven or eight thousand a month is barely enough to cover the mortgage and basic living expenses! I even quit my job to have the baby. Who will support this whole family? If you dare to even think about taking my dowry money, don't even think about it! That's what I'm saving for Dudu's future."

Seeing his wife's face flushed with excitement, Lin Muchuan's rebuttals were all stuck in his throat, and in the end, they turned into a powerless compromise: "...We're going to Jiajia's engagement party today, I don't want to argue with you."

"Hmph, if you're really that capable, then you should try to build a good relationship with your cousin-in-law and see if you can find us a decent job. Our family is in such a mess, and you still have the nerve to bring up those old, trivial matters with your sister!"

Peng Xiaomeng shook off his hand and started picking out clothes on her own.

Lin Muchuan lowered his head, his chest heaving violently, and finally turned and left without saying a word, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Xiao Chuan, what's wrong? Did you two fight again?" Wang Suxia asked in a low voice, looking at her son's unpleasant face.

Lin Muchuan didn't speak. He subconsciously reached into his pocket to get a cigarette, but when he saw the sleeping child in his mother's arms, he forcibly restrained himself.

He leaned close to his mother's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Mom, give Xiaoxue the money in private. You must not let Xiaomeng know. Also, tell Xiaoxue not to tell anyone."

Wang Suxia and Lin Baoshan exchanged a glance and instantly understood their son's predicament.

The joy on his face faded, replaced by a heavy sense of helplessness.

Two years ago, when their son got married, they emptied their savings and sold their old homestead to help him buy a house.

After getting married, they lived frugally and managed to save some money.

Not much, but it's still around 40,000 to 50,000 yuan.

Originally, I was thinking that since Xiaoxue had finally come back this time, I would give her this money in person to make up for the debt the family owed her.

But now it seems that once the daughter-in-law finds out, this family will probably be turned upside down.

The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and between sister-in-law and sister-in-law, has always been a difficult one.

However, they did feel guilty towards Xiaoxue.

The family owns two plots of land in the village.

One is their old house where they've lived most of their lives, and the other is a chicken coop that was used to raise chickens in the early years. Later, raising chickens didn't make money, so the place was abandoned.

Xiaoxue has always had a stubborn streak and a refusal to admit defeat; she's someone who doesn't like to suffer losses.

A few years ago, when the village was confirming the land rights for houses, she was still in college. She made a special call back to explain the matter clearly.

The empty chicken coop plot belongs to her, while the house where they currently live belongs to her brother.

She had planned it all out perfectly, she said excitedly on the phone.

When I make a lot of money outside, I'll come back, tear down the old chicken coop, and build a beautiful little villa. Then I'll bring my parents in and they can live out their retirement comfortably.

Later, housing prices in the city rose day by day, and Mu Chuan found a girlfriend, so getting married and buying a house became an urgent matter.

Having no other choice, the elderly couple gritted their teeth and secretly sold the plot of land that they had agreed to leave to their daughter, raising 90,000 yuan.

Even the money that his daughter had saved up over the past few years and sent home for them to help her save was "lent" to his son.

These two sums together amount to a total of 120,000.

There's also all of the family's savings, 20 yuan.

She basically emptied her family's savings to get Lin Muchuan married.

The daughter, who was working in another city, didn't receive a single penny and even lost a lot of money.

At the time, Wang Suxia and her husband always thought that their daughter was a glamorous model in Yancheng and must be doing very well.

They even clung to their last glimmer of hope and made a special trip to Yancheng, hoping to speak to their daughter again.

Could you provide more money to ease the burden of her brother's down payment?

Unexpectedly, Lin Muxue reacted so strongly that things completely fell apart.

In her anger, Wang Suxia said many hurtful things.

The mother and daughter never contacted each other again.

Her daughter even blocked her on WeChat and with her phone number.

It was then that Wang Suxia and the others learned that Lin Muxue's life in Yancheng was actually not easy either.

She originally wanted to be a flight attendant, but the airline required a "training fee" of over 100,000 yuan. Knowing that her family didn't have much money, she had no choice but to switch careers and become a model.

On the surface, they appear glamorous, but in reality, they are bossed around and only earn a few hundred yuan a day after shooting for more than ten hours.

This heavy sense of indebtedness weighed on their hearts like a boulder.

Lin Muchuan scratched his head in frustration and said in a muffled voice, "...I'm going out for a smoke."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out.

The wind in the hallway was chilly. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and his eyes were filled with an indescribable mix of complexity and exhaustion.

After a while.

Peng Xiaomeng's urging voice came from inside the house: "It's already past ten o'clock, hurry up and get ready, it's time to go! I've prepared the red envelope, I've put in two thousand yuan, isn't that a lot?"

"Oh my, that's quite a lot, too much!" Wang Suxia's voice came from inside the house.

"Give them a little more, it'll look better on the surface! They'll remember our kindness." Peng Xiaomeng's voice revealed a shrewdness.

Lin Muchuan stubbed out his cigarette against the wall, took a deep breath of the cold air, and turned to go back inside.

He knew perfectly well why his wife was in such a hurry; to put it bluntly, she wanted to curry favor with Jiajia.

The small company I work for is now teetering on the brink of collapse and may close down any day.

Xiaomeng had already resigned from her job due to severe morning sickness, and now her baby is still crying for milk...

Jiajia's fiancé comes from a powerful and influential family, and she's thinking about whether she can benefit from his connections.

As soon as she returned to the living room, Peng Xiaomeng gave her a disdainful look.

"Smoking again! All you do all day is smoke! Wouldn't it be better to save that money and buy your son a good bottle of formula? And your hair, it looks like a bird's nest, go and tidy it up!"

Lin Muchuan walked into the bathroom without saying a word.

The family got everything ready in a tense and chaotic atmosphere, and finally, holding their sleeping child, squeezed into a slightly worn Nissan Sylphy.

(End of this chapter)